Creative Europe: the funding opportunities until 2027

“Creative Europe”, the EU Programme supporting the culture and audiovisual sectors, is growing especially if compared to the past. This is shown by the increase in the total budget to €2.44 billion for the next seven years. For 2021 alone, more than €297 million have been allocated. 

Source: Annual work programme for the implementation of the Creative Europe Programme 

The projects selected within Creative Europe aim at strengthening cultural diversity and supporting the creative and cultural sectors in overcoming challenges.   

The 2021-2027 budgetary period will enable the sectors concerned to embark on a path of recovery characterised by greater inclusion, digitisation and environmental sustainability. The instrument most frequently referred to is transnational cooperation, whose role is thus strengthened in the new programme.  

Creative Europe is divided into three strands: Culture, Media and Cross-Sectoral. The general objectives are the preservation, development and promotion of European culture, as well as the protection of linguistic diversity and heritage. 
In addition, the Programme focuses on increasing the competitiveness and economic potential of the creative, cultural and, in particular, audiovisual sector.  

In the previous budgetary period, the tourism sector benefited from the spin-offs of some of the Programme’s flagship activities, for example: European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) and European Heritage Days. In the period 2021-2027, the relevance of ECOC for regional development is confirmed. Furthermore, the strand “Culture” supports events, while the section “Media” promotes European tourism both nationally and internationally through film festivals. Finally, the strategy of city branding through culture will increase the value of the cities themselves and attract more visitors.   

At Twissen, we believe that tourism and “culture, media as well as creative sectors” are strongly linked. The Culture strand supports sustainable tourism, indeed. EU funds are creating the conditions for the coordinated recovery of the sectors most affected by the pandemic.   

For more information on projects funded in the 2014-2020 budgetary period, see Follow the Vikings Project and Festival Finder – European Festivals Association. 

European Festivals Association. 

Twissen